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by Peter Brett - December 2005
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Warning: Eat Your Spinach Before Using!
At that point I began to wonder what I had taken on. But, with a judicious bit of squeezing here and there I was able to get it into my car. It was a close run thing though.
Unpacking a box that took up nearly all of my hallway was something my wife would not like to happen every day, and the pressure washer when it was finally revealed was impressive but not unmanageable.
The instruction booklet was my first port of call, because although I love using pressure washers they can be a bit of a handful. There was clearly a lot more to this Karcher than the usual £50 model from a “DIY Shed” special offer. For one thing, the array of specialized fitments and detergents that I was sent was a bit confusing, and I needed to be clear what I was going to test. So following my booklet, I did all the setting up needed and when I had modified my hose fitting to a big enough one, and also seen to the tap fitting which was not up to the job, I set out on the Great Patio Wash.
I needed a big space to try out the Karcher at first, and I was lucky enough to have one close at hand. The switchgear is only marginally more complicated than some of the smaller Karcher pressure washers I have used, and I was soon happily engaged in high pressure antics like high pressure weeding, removing ingrained dirt and even some old mortar mix from a concrete slab surface. The power available to the user is quite amazing and it really gives you the desire to start cleaning everything in sight. The power of the spray is very easily adjustable using a rubberized twist handle near the top handle of the lance, and the nozzle itself can be used in three different positions from a pinpoint spray to a wide fan spray that is ideal for cleaning large areas.
I was also lucky enough to be sent some bottles of detergent and polish by Karcher. What is really good about these is that there is no need to fill any tanks in awkward positions. The bottles of detergent slot into place behind the machine and you simply attach the relevant caps and feed tubes directly to the bottles, adjust the feed and there you go. I found the detergent washing mode, in particular, to be very effective, but I didn’t have the ideal conditions on which to try it. I suspect that had I had the time to ask a local farmer if I could clean out one of his concrete-floored sheds this attachment would really have proved its worth. Ah, deadlines, don’t you love them!
One of the things that I hate about pressure washers is how to store them neatly. Many of the cheaper models have no facility to wind up the cable or the pressure hose, or even somewhere to put the spraylance. So they usually end up in an untidy pile in the corner of the garage or the shed. However, as befits our health and safety conscious era, the Karcher HD6/11 does not have this problem. It is possible to wind up the pressure hose on a reel on top of the machine, and the cord is wound round couple of cleats at the back of the machine. The spraylance is held firmly in place against the side of the machine and does not come loose in transit, despite the fact that the pressure hose is quite stiff and tends to pull at it a bit.
I am glad I didn’t have far to move the Karcher, because it is a heavy machine. But is has very large diameter wheels that make moving it a reality. For example, I was able to pull it up a series of large eight inch rise steps without any problems at all.
Bearing in mind that this washer is intended for the agricultural, hire and commercial markets, movability is very important.
But the fun doesn&Mac226;t stop there. I also got to try out the Karcher FR30 hard surface cleaner. The actual device looks a bit like a large upside-down wok with wheels. Under the “wok”&Mac226; however, are a couple of spray jets that rotate with the pressure of the water. The FR30 is not difficult to use. The spraylance has its usual nozzle removed and is attached to a substantial brass fitting in the middle of the “wok”&Mac226; that directs the pressurized water to the rotating nozzles. In use the spray is contained by a rim of very stiff brush bristle that is just level with the floor. Used with the detergent I was able to get the cleanest patio ever - without the tell-tale spray marks up the adjoining walls or without having the undoubted power of the spray being misdirected. In fact, it is so controllable that I think it could easily be used indoors in certain applications.
As I write, the news is full of the fallout and pollution from the fuel fires in Hemel Hempstead. It strikes me that the Karcher would be an ideal machine to use when it comes to cleaning up after such disasters. Farmers have recently had to deal with the problems of cleaning up their vehicles and properties after the foot and mouth epidemic, and the threat of “bird-flu” would seem a similar scenario. There are so many commercial, health, industrial and agricultural applications for such a capable machine as the Karcher that hire shops and commercial end users would be wise to invest in such a flexible cleaning system.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
Airstream Communications